The Fight
by Beautyone
Summary: Angel seeks redemption, blind to the consequences of his actions.


He'd taken to driving the neighborhoods, late at night

He'd taken to driving the neighborhoods, late at night. Starting from the  
hotel he drove in ever widening circles, telling himself that he needed to  
know the roads, to know the whole city like the back of his hand. But he knew  
the truth, he was desperate to get away. Each night he went farther, making  
sure he could get back before daybreak. His life snapping at his heels,  
making him miserable with need. Making his head pound with noise and  
frustration. 

He drove until he found the sort of place he wanted, a seedy bar full of  
redneck drunks. As he opened the door a haze of smoke and  
sweat rolled over him. The smell of beer was overpowering. He took a deep  
breath and went to the counter. The bartender was half asleep, anxious  
to end his day. "I'll have a J.D.", he murmured and tossed a bill down. The  
bartender obliged, and slid the drink over to him. He drank it in a gulp, the  
alcohol filling his senses with a momentary fire. He was ready.  
  
He chose a victim, the least drunk of the bunch, and went for the easy  
victory. 

"Hey whore," he said loudly, raising his voice, "how much for a  
blow?" 

The patrons fell silent as the beefy man in his forties turned  
around, his face flushing red. 

"I said, how much for a blow?" stepping forward he sneered "or is it cheaper up the hole?" 

He laughed, "I've got cash, lets step outside to my car and you can 'do' me  
there." He pulled a twenty out of his jacket and stuffed it in the mans'  
pocket. The mans' companion snickered nervously 

"You gonna take that Kelly?" he slurred. 

"Kelly? What a perfect name for a fag! I knew I'd picked a winner!" Angel smirked as he  
leaned forward as though to give the man a hug. 

"All right, outside it is" muttered Kelly grimly as he grabbed his  
sleeve and forced him bodily out of the bar, his companions followed. 

Angel laughed, giddy with anticipation and spread his  
arms wide. "C'mon, give me what I want you cheap fuck!" he shouted. The older  
man rushed, him hitting hard into his ribs, which gave with an audible crack.  
Angel coughed and stepped back. Another hit, side of the face. Another hit,  
the crunch of a broken nose. He looked up as the man began to turn away, his  
honor satisfied. "You're not done" Angel jeered, "I paid you for sex and I  
want some!" 

The man turned back, his face lit with anger. "Boy, are you retarded?" he said quietly poking his  
finger into Angels chest. 

  
"Nope" He replied, "I can see I didn't pay you enough."

With one hand he fished another twenty out of his pocket, and with the other he pulled  
Kellys' hand to his own mouth and licked his palm leaving a slick of blood  
and spit. 

Kel jerked his fist back, and roared as he let loose with a  
flurry of blows that knocked Angel to the ground. "Had enough jackass!?" He  
shouted, punctuating the words with a series of kicks to the gut.

"Nnno" Angel coughed, dribbling blood into the gravel. "Fuck me." He held out a shaking hand, offering the  
other twenty. The final blow, inevitably to the groin. Angel curled into a  
ball, shuddering with pain as the drunk headed back to bar, victorious in the  
company of friends.

He crawled to the car; eased into the drivers seat. The ride home was easy and Angel  
was content. Able at last to listen only to the ringing in his ears, his  
nagging conscience was silenced, drowned out by the pain in his battered  
body. He slid a bead to the other side on his mental scale. Pain for pain, he  
would pay it back, pay for what he had done.  
  
----------------  
  
Kneeling in the confessional, his eyes filled with unshed tears. 

"Father Costanza?" 

"Kelly? Mother of God have you been drinking? You stink like a  
brewery!" 

"Please Father, please help me. I was so drunk I nearly killed a  
man. He made me so angry over nothing." 

"Then you have to make it right, go apologize" Stated the priest flatly.

"I can't! He was just some stranger. Some fool who wandered into the wrong place." Kelly sobbed, looking down at  
his bloodied hands. "I can never make it right again." 

Costanza sighed as he looked through the wire mesh that separated them. "Let it go then."


End file.
